A/N: I had thought about writing another 'proper' fic but instead opted for a one shot based upon the idea I had in mind. So it's kind of a tester. If you like it, let me know and I'll actually get to writing the real deal.

Basically, Snape is made to look after the daughter of a fellow Death Eater, recently deceased.

Due to her family and her placement in Slytherin, she is being forced into following Voldemort.

Snape, to help his cover as a 'baddie' takes her in (when not at school) and looks after her a bit.

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Snape let out a muffled sigh as he unfolded the newspaper that had been sitting buried underneath various items on his desk for the better part of a week. He had refused to look at it before, pretended he couldn't hear the bolded headlines screaming out at him every time that he passed it. His eyes were immediately drawn to the frozen faces in the story's photograph.

A young girl clutching a filthy teddy bear, her eyes choked with tears. The scene behind her was that of utter chaos, trees ripped to shreds, cars toppled over in the street and dozens of other haunted eyes searching for their loved ones. He looked up at the headline, although he already knew what had happened--

"FREAK HURRICANE HITS SOMERSET, RESIDENTS TRYING TO PICK UP PIECES"

He lifted his eyes from the words and gazed at the fireplace blazing in front of him.

'How can the Muggles be so ignorant?', he thought to himself.

Loosing his grip on the newspaper, he let it slide out of his fingers and onto the floor.

He knew the real reason hundreds in Somerset were now without homes wasn't some oddity of nature, but in fact several giants rampaging the area under the leadership of Lord Voldemort.

Snape shifted awkwardly in his chair, trying to find a more comfortable position. But it wasn't his body that was restless, but his conscience.

First the bridge and now this. The Muggles are going to suspect something eventually, something none of them had ever imagined in their wildest dreams.

The second war was coming faster than he had thought it would. And he was caught in the middle of it.

A small whimper broke the silence of the room and shook Snape out of his trance.

He leaned forward in his chair and folded both his arms underneath his chin, listening for the noise a second time. The air was deathly still and he was beginning to think he imagined it, when it sounded again.

Raising from his armchair, he walked across the small sitting room, carving a path through the countless piles of books crowding around him. He strode angrily over to the small closet off of the hallway, where Wormtail was kept.

'I knew I should have cast a silencing charm on him, that blundering idiot.'

He grabbed ahold of the door handle, about to rip it open, when another cry sounded throughout the house. Only, it didn't come from the closet, but further down the hall.

He removed his hand from the handle and thrust it into his sleeve, clutching his wand.

When he reached the hallway, he began to slow his steps, now almost tiptoeing.

He could hear whispering now. With each step it got a bit louder, but he still couldn't decipher it.

Reaching the door at the end, he noticed it was unlatched and slowly pushed it open.

"Lumos." The tip of his wand began to glow, illuminating his face in a soft blue light.

He glanced around the room and his eyes came to rest on a small bed in the corner.

Inching towards it, he could begin to make out a figure, twisted in the sheets. He raised his wand over the bed and peered down at the girl, her features outlined through the airy fabric wrapped around her. Her jaw was clenched tight, her fists clutching at her nightdress. Her eyes were puffy and red and tears were streaming down her cheeks and soaking into the mattress. She seemed to be fighting in her sleep, whispering words choked in sorrow.

"No..."

His eyes danced over her face, catching the shadows that highlighted the hollows in her cheeks.

He bent down over her and pointed his wand at her temple.

"Somnius Num."

The words buzzed throughout the room before dissolving back into the silence.

Instantly, her brow began to relax and her cries soon died down. Her nightmare was gone for the night. He pulled back his wand slowly, keeping his eyes on her.

One final tear unlatched itself from her eyelash and rolled gently down her face.

Hesitantly, he raised his hand to her cheek, his fingers within a hair's breadth of her skin.

He could feel the warmth radiating off of her and his own skin began to tingle.

He tightened his fingers and withdrew his hand, tucking it up into his sleeve.

'No time to get childish, Severus.' he reminded himself.

He backed away slowly and began to edge out of the room. He clutched at the door handle and swung the latch closed.

He couldn't live in the light anymore, he needed to prepare himself for the matters at hand.

"Nox."